REACTION BEHAVIOR OF ALKANES WITH CARBON MONOXIDE IN A HF–SbF5 SOLUTION

Abstract
The reaction of alkanes with carbon monoxide in a HF–SbF5 solution at 30 °C under atmospheric pressure gave significantly different results from those in the Koch-Haaf reaction of alkenes and alcohols in usual strong acids. The results demonstrated that alkanes react very easily under these conditions with preferential formation of secondary carboxylic acids when the alkane has less than six carbon atoms, while a formation of β-scission products occurs, exclusively, with more than seven carbon atoms.